Being an NFL wife, with all the uncertainty that comes with my husbands job, my faith-life gets dragged into a gym and is forced to keep pumping and pumping until I’m bulging with strong, powerful, steadfast faith that no team, coach, media outlet or person can move. Think the P90X version of “faith building“.
Giving you a short, reality show type episode of the last few, exciting weeks, I will be completely transparent so you can slip in my shoes at any second.
July 31st Simeon took off to Eden Prairie, Minnesota to be with the NFL’s own Viking’s organization. About two weeks into what was clearly a very successful camp for Simeon, during a mock game, he sprinted to a ball, no one around and BOOM, strained his hamstring. When I heard the news, I immediately blurted out, “really Lord?! Are you kidding me? WHY!? This is NOT the time to be allowing this kind of trial, at least let him make the team first! Don’t you know there is no time to waste during camp!? (like He doesn’t know)”
The entire time I asked questions, Simeon would remind me, “God’s got our back” and encouraged me not to be anxious for anything, but to pray and trust God. Two games later Simeon was still trying to recover from this injury.
Meanwhile, I’m in Birmingham, Alabama separating all our stuff in storage into bags and plastic bins that were labeled either “minnesota-fall” or “spring 2012” so we know what to haul north and what stays till next off season. That week of the third pre-season game, Simeon asked me to jump on a plane and head up to be with him so we could go through whatever happens, together.
The morning after that third game, rolling out the Extended Stay on the way to church, the phone rang and all I heard was “Yes sir? My wife can bring me up there”. Listen, in the NFL, for the most part, you NEVER want to be called into a coaches office. We turned the car around and that two minute drive to the Viking’s complex seemed like an forty minute ride. All I kept saying in my mind was, ” I trust you Lord, I trust you”.
The knot in my throat was swelling quickly and he looked at me and said, “Haley, we just gotta trust God”. Ugh! Would he just stop with all this calm cool and collective kind of faith!? I was freaking out!
Initially, the Viking’s brought Simeon in last season because they knew he was capable of playing and was a great asset to the defensive secondary team. Simeon finally recovered, but missing all this time caused tension between the decision makers and they cut one of their best safetiesthat morning, Simeon Castille.
Back in Birmingham, and naturally, we were a little bitter. Our friends and family were excited we were back, but we kept looking at each other thinking, “we do not want to be here!”. We both also knew there has got to be something great around the corner.
People judge, think because you were cut you aren’t good enough, fast enough, swag enough etc., but the NFL is brutal and business is business. We can’t worry about what people think about us. You can’t worry about what people think about you either. A lot of times, God allows tests to take place in our lives that do not make sense to us at all, but there are things He’s doing that we can’t see. We’ve just got to trust Him. Sometimes He is using our pain to show someone else His power!
So we’re back in the gym, pumping these faith muscles. Does it feel good? Heck no, it usually never feels good during the trial, but it’s the results you know that are coming that keep you motivated to push through. An unmoving, steadfast faith that will get us through any trial we might be face to face with is what we need to show others the power of God.
Like Simeon says, “all we can do is trust the Lord Haley, we have no other choice? ” I couldn’t imagine not having my faith or relationship with the Lord in this business. I don’t know how people do it.
I can’t wait to see where God’s taking us. Yes we are still in waiting, trusting that a door will be swung wide open! But until then, we are living each day like it’s our last, trusting in the ONLY one Who can do incredible miracles in out lives, like giving Simeon a job!
Love you all – Haley Hunt Castille, Mrs. Sonshine
ps. I’ve got so much to share with you about the coolest little-big things God’s used to remind us, He is in control!
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